Railroad Crossing
Safety at Question After Flashing Lights are Removed
THE NEWS LEADER
April 30, 2008
By: Edward Hale-Mr.Thrifty Correspondent
The Ohi-Rail Corporation, a Minerva-based railroad company,
located at 700 Murray Ave., Minerva, had applied to the Public
Utilities Commission of Ohio on May 18, 2007, to eliminate
flashing lights at three crossings in the Amsterdam, and Bergholz
area.
PUCO approved the request on Nov. 20,
2007, due to limited train traffic and deterioration of signal
lights that we currently installed. PUCO proposed the
downgrades to begin with the installment of two crossbuck
signs, one for each highway approach at each crossing, in
accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
The three railroad crossings were replaced
with the “standard,
old-fashioned crossbuck signs,” shinny new signs mounted
on four-by-four wooden posts.
The question and concern is why the
signs were not replaced with the updated “Buckeye Crossbuck” signs that
are reflective read and white. The Buckeye Crossbuck
provides stronger visual signal among the measured crossbucks
at night and during the daytime. However, mystery is
why the crossings were not simply kept up in the first place
or replaced the existing equipment with new, working lights
and gates when one of these crossings is located on State Route
43, Amsterdam.
Vicky Moore, from the Angels on Track
Foundation said, “My
only concern is that a crossbuck, no matter Buckeye or standard,
is only a sign and signs don’t protect you or warn you
of an approaching train. This is particularly dangerous
when you can’t see down the tracks, because of sight
obstructions and the crossing is not gated. What happened
at these three crossings was a dangerous situation where the
state took “backward” steps going from active warning
to a passive sign, a dangerous precedence.”
“What is going to stop other railroads from doing the
same? Local officials were too quick to approve, this,
without consideration of the impact on safety. It’s
possible the number of actual train movements were under-reported. The
best protection is gates and no action should ever be taken
to downgrade a crossing other than to completely close a crossing,” Moore
said.
An in-depth investigation into OHRC
crossings sound that crossings in both Carroll County and
Jefferson County from Minerva to Amsterdam have the Buckeye
Crossing signs, but not the three crossings where the deteriorating
lights were removed. Also
in the investigation, it was found that OHRC had a complaint
filed against them last year from a Carrollton school bus driver,
reporting obstructed grade crossings with trees and vegetation
hindering the view at several of their crossings. OHRC
has also derailed their locomotives several times as well.
The OHRC office in Steubenville was contacted and referred
any questions to Powell Felix, general manager of Ohi-Rail
Corp.
According to a phone conversation on
March 28, Felix stated that “OHRC only operates trains
a few times a year on the crossings and that the crossings
do have flaggers to stop any and all vehicle traffic while
the train crosses.”
He went on to say that “the Buckeye
Crossing signs are more noticeable; however, the crossing
signs were replaced with the standard signs due to federal
regulations and that the Buckeye signs are being phased out.”
Felix believes there was no point in replacing the crossings
with lights and gates since they are only used a few times
per year.
Felix believes that instead of replacing the lights and gates
at those three crossings, it would be more economical and sensible
to place lights and gates at crossings that would have more
train traffic than those in the Amsterdam/Bergholz area.
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